To understand why the CAAAP is revolutionary, you first need to understand the fatal flaw in traditional anger assessments. Let me explain with a story that will make this crystal clear. 

Imagine two men, Robert and James, who both come to you for anger assessment. Using a traditional tool like the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2) – which has been the gold standard since 1999 – both men score 75 out of 100. Traditional interpretation says they both have “significant anger problems” and should receive the same treatment. Most programs would put them in the same anger management group and expect similar outcomes. 

But here’s what that single score hides. Robert is a combat veteran who experiences explosive anger when triggered by loud noises or feeling trapped. He has no coping skills, no support system, and genuinely believes his anger is justified protection. When he gets angry, he sees red, blacks out, and has put three people in the hospital. Between episodes, he’s haunted by shame and hopelessness. 

James is a successful businessman who knows exactly how to manage his anger – he exercises, uses breathing techniques, has a therapist, and strong family support. His problem? In specific situations with specific authority figures who remind him of his abusive father, all those skills fly out the window. He becomes verbally cruel in calculated ways that have destroyed multiple professional relationships. He knows what he’s doing while he’s doing it but feels powerless to stop. 

Traditional assessment sees these men as the same. Same score, same treatment, same expected outcome. Is it any wonder that anger management programs have such high failure rates? 

The CAAAP solves this by measuring two completely different things. First, it measures the Problem Score – how severe are the anger issues across multiple domains? But then – and this is the revolution – it separately measures the Coping Score – what resources, skills, and strengths does this person already possess?